ATF Insiders - December's Monthly 9 Giveaway

Our monthly 9 giveaways for December are now live! Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders will be automatically entered into the draw, and making people's day/week is definitely the best part of the month for us. As always thank you for supporting what we do, we love you long time.

Everyone subscribed by midnight on Friday 17th December will be entered into the draw, and winners will be picked and notified on Saturday 18th December. Here's what's coming up this month...

1) Dinner For Two With Drinks At Sprezzaura

Everyone's favourite fast casual Italian, Sprezzatura, has taken on chef Anita Thoma (formerly Il Primo) as Head of Product Development across both restaurants. She's developed a brand new, seasonal menu, adding even more Irish suppliers and growers to the list, with dishes including wild Wicklow venison & pork meatballs; arancini; and tagliatelle with chestnut and portobello mushroom ragu. Their virtual queuing system Waitlist is back in action so no standing out in the cold, and for those wanting to stay home they're also on Deliveroo. One of our lucky Insiders is going in to experience the new menu for themselves as they've given us a dinner for two to give away, with cocktails on arrival, starters, pasta, dessert and a carafe of house wine.

2) Dinner & Drinks For Two At Junior's

Junior's in Beggar's Bush has just reopened for dinner with a brand new menu style, based on American comfort food with a serious flavour punch, from head chef Fiachra Kenny. Produce is predominantly Irish, like free-range Salters chicken and pork for the fried chicken and waffles, and schnitzel with anchovies, and Milleens, smoked Gubbeen and Cais na Tire in their Mac and Cheese. We're all over the ox cheek marmalade and bone marrow on toast, and the deep-fried apple pie for dessert, and one of you will be too because we're sending you there for dinner. One of our Insiders will be treated to cocktails, starters, mains, desserts and a bottle of house wine for two, and your only problem is going to be choosing what to have from this menu.

3) A €100 Voucher For Hen's Teeth

Hen's Teeth is undoubtedly on the "Dublin's hottest restaurants" list right now, with chef Killian Walsh and team turning out dishes like Korean fried chicken with pork skin and pickles; seabream with cucumber, sorrel and jalapeno; and Connemara mussels in an nduja broth. The wine's natural, the art work is second to none, and the vibes are very Dublin 8. We've bagged a €100 for one of you so you can get in and see what everyone (and we mean everyone) is rating as some of the best cooking in the capital. We're also very excited for their pop up with London-based Willy's Pies on the 8th and 9th of January. How good does this sound?

4) The Baller Hamper From Boujee Booze

Online wine shop Boujee Booze was set up by friends Michael and Simon who'd worked in hospitality and wanted to sell the wine, beer and food they love. They have a killer selection of natural wines (as well as some more conventional types), recipes and snacks to pair them with, and even the best takeaway to suit each bottle, with next day delivery available nationwide. The guys are always on hand to make recommendations or give advice through the website, and we've got a special ATF Boujee hamper to give away to one of you for a very happy Christmas. It's got five top natural wines, Ballylisk Triple Rose, Cashel Blue and Milleens cheeses, Iberico de Bellota lomo and chorizo, damson cheese fruit, mini toast crackers, and olives. You could give this away as a present, but we just want it for ourselves.

5) A €100 Voucher For Pala Pizza

We've officially designated Roman-style Pala Pizza in Foxrock worthy of your time, money and travel costs, so are delighted to be sending one of you off to eat all the pizza. The no bookings, outdoor eatery (with heaters coming next week!) will even take a special, pizza oven adjacent booking just for our winner and whoever they choose to share their pizza prize with. Slices range from €3.50 for garlic bread to €8 for a guest special, so €100 will get you a lot of crispy, by the cut slices, and if they have their new focaccia sliders with oxtail and pig trotter ragu on when you visit, you better order it and tell us all about it.

6) A Maharani Gin Gift Set

Mahanari gin is made in Cork with botanicals from Kerala in India, a combination of the different backgrounds of married owners Robert and Bhagya Barrett. They wanted to create an original gin with spice, citrus and sweetness, so it's zested with pomelo fruit and spiced with cassia and nutmeg-mace, all sourced from a women’s organic farming co-operative in Bhagya’s home state of Kerala. ‘Maharani’, meaning Queen, won four awards in its first year on the market, including gold in The Gin Masters, and the perfect serve is with premium tonic, grapefruit and mint leaves. Intrigued? One of you will be getting sent a 70cl bottle, London Essence tonic, Mr Bell's spice mix, and some Maharani merch so you can see what all the fuss is about.

7) A €100 Voucher And Sake At Yoi Izakaya

Yoi Izakaya in Dublin 4 is the second opening from the people behind Yoi Ramen near Grand Canal Dock, and we were really impressed with the sushi when we visited a couple of weeks ago. They say they wanted to bring the culture of Japan to Ballsbridge, with a multitude of dishes including Asian tapas, ramen and teriyaki, in a modern setting. To celebrate their opening they've given us a €100 voucher to give away to one of you so you can eat as much nigiri, futomatki and gyoza as you can manage, and they're throwing in a bottle of sake too.

8) A Heart Of Spain Hamper

Cork-based Heart of Spain are bringing the food and wine of Castilla y Leon to Ireland with their online food shop. From Ribera del Duero wines, to farm-produced cured meats, to artisan sheep's milk cheese, it's like going on an eating holiday without running around Madrid looking for a PCR test centre. We've got an amazing tapas hamper to give away to one of you this month, including wines, cheeses, meats, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pates, nuts and jams, all delivered in a beautiful wooden box. You can order their hampers online for nationwide, pre-Christmas delivery up until the 20th December, or collect from their Cork shop if you happen to be heading that way for Christmas. There's also 10% off everything until the 23rd! Get on it.

9) A €100 Voucher For Dublin Cookery School

In a pandemic-related cookery rut? We're sending one of you off to the Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock. Situated two miles down the coast from Dublin city centre, you'll be heading to their state of the art, modern, spacious cookery studio, €100 voucher in hand, with hundreds of courses to choose from. From pizza to pasta, Japanese to Mexican cuisine, you can see what's coming up at dublincookeryschool.ie, and they sell custom gift vouchers too.

Everyone signed up to ATF Insiders for December will be automatically entered into the prize draw. If you're not signed up yet join here and support independent content in Dublin and beyond.